Bonner piles on Barton

Alabama Rep. Jo Bonner called on Texan Joe Barton to step aside as the top Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee on Friday in the wake of Barton’s shocking apology to BP CEO Tony Hayward, rejecting Barton’s retraction and follow-up apology to Gulf coast residents.

“When a member of Congress is apologizing to a company that is raping the Gulf Coast of America, I cannot walk away from that comment easily,” Bonner told POLITICO in an interview Friday afternoon. “It is, to me, more than a 24-hour-news-cycle comment. It has consequences.”

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Bonner, who represents Mobile, is the second Gulf Coast Republican to call for Barton to resign from the leadership position, joining Florida Rep. Jeff Miller. No lawmaker has rushed to Barton’s defense.

Republican leaders gave Barton an ultimatum Thursday after he apologized to Hayward in a nationally televised hearing for what he termed a White House “shakedown” requiring BP to put $20 billion into an escrow account to pay damage claims from Gulf Coast residents and businesses affected by the two-month long BP oil spill. Barton was offered this choice: Apologize for the apology or face immediate removal from his job.

Barton chose to retract his apology – but the retraction rang hollow with some Republicans, including Bonner.

Bonner called it “at best a half-hearted apology, trying, in my opinion, to save his position on one of the most influential committees in Congress” in a statement issued Friday afternoon.

And, Bonner detailed Barton’s further efforts to save his job.

“Earlier this morning, Rep. Barton called me to offer his personal apologies for any harm that his comments might have caused. It takes a big person to admit they were wrong and I appreciated Joe’s call. However, as I told him, I believe the damage of his comments are beyond repair and, as such, I am today calling on Joe to do the right thing for our conference and immediately step aside as ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee,” Bonner said in the statement.

If Barton does not step aside, Republican leaders could move to oust him next week – depending on whether more lawmakers push to see him moved out.

Bonner, who on Thursday told Minority Leader John Boehner that Barton’s comments were “unconscionable,” said Friday that he is not “looking to lead a campaign” against Barton.

But it was clear he believed strongly that Barton’s apology to BP was premeditated – and therefore far less forgivable than a simple blunder.

“It was not made lightly. I do not think Joe’s comments were made off the cuff,” Bonner said.